Building for the future
Subtitle: China's progress in space technology during the tenth 5-year plan and the U.S. response
By: Kevin Pollpeter.
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute.
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Carlisle, PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 64
ISBN-13: 9781584873471
Subjects: Astronautics and state -- China; Astronautics and state -- United States; China -- Strategic aspects; United States -- Relations -- China; China -- Relations -- United States
Other titles: China's progress in space technology during the tenth 5-year plan and the U.S. response
Description: The Chinese government is using space power to increase its influence at home and abroad and hopes to leverage the political, economic, and military benefits of space to become a great power. The ambivalent nature of the U.S.-China relationship, however, assures that over the long term China's rise as a space power will present challenges to the United States. Militarily, China's improved remote sensing capabilities and launch tempos require the U.S. military to prepare to counteract China's use of space in a potential conflict over Taiwan. Commercially, China's lower labor costs and mercantilist approach to space could establish China as a competitive market force. Politically, U.S. diplomats must recognize the role Chinese space activities plays in diplomacy and be prepared to ameliorate cooperative activities that impinge on U.S. national security. Despite these drawbacks, cooperation with China cannot be ruled out. Cooperation can improve scientific research, increase safety, and make an opaque program more transparent, but should not directly improve China's military or commercial capabilities. Consequently, the U.S. response to China's rise as a space power should take a balanced approach in which challenges are managed and opportunities exploited.
Notes: "March 2008."

"This monograph was originally written for a conference sponsored by the RAND Corporation, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in 2005" -- p. ii.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-64).

Electronic version also available on the SSI website.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Goals; title: Tenth five-year plan accomplishments; title: Assessment; title: The future; title: The benefits of a space program: fitting space power into China's grand strategy; title: The implications of the rise of China's space program for U.S. interests; title: The U.S. response: contain, compete, cooperate, or do nothing?; title: Seeking tangible results; title: Conclusion.